Fluid–Structure Interaction Analysis of Perfusion Process of Vascularized Channels within Hydrogel Matrix Based on Three-Dimensional Printing

• Main Authors: Shuai Yang, Jianping Shi, Jiquan Yang, Chunmei Feng, Hao Tang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: three-dimensional bioprinting; vascularized channels; perfusion pressure; hydrogel concentration; fluid–structure interaction; crosslinking density
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/9/1898

The rise of three-dimensional bioprinting technology provides a new way to fabricate in tissue engineering in vitro, but how to provide sufficient nutrition for the internal region of the engineered printed tissue has become the main obstacle. In vitro perfusion culture can not only provide nutrients for the growth of internal cells but also take away the metabolic wastes in time, which is an effective method to solve the problem of tissue engineering culture in vitro. Aiming at user-defined tissue engineering with internal vascularized channels obtained by three-dimensional printing experiment in the early stage, a simulation model was established and the in vitro fluid–structure interaction finite element analysis of tissue engineering perfusion process was carried out. Through fluid–structure interaction simulation, the hydrodynamic behavior and mechanical properties of vascularized channels in the perfusion process was discussed when the perfusion pressure, hydrogel concentration, and crosslinking density changed. The effects of perfusion pressure, hydrogel concentration, and crosslinking density on the flow velocity, pressure on the vascularized channels, and deformation of vascularized channels were analyzed. The simulation results provide a method to optimize the perfusion parameters of tissue engineering, avoiding the perfusion failure caused by unreasonable perfusion pressure and hydrogel concentration and promoting the development of tissue engineering culture in vitro.